Water-bomb



Pawndsept. 27,1921.

2 SHEETSL-SHEET' F. SMITH.

.WATER 50MB. APPLICATION FILED NOV. I, |917.

PatentedSept. 27, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

FLOYD SMITH, 0F SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

WATER-BOMB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 27, 1921.

.application ined November 1, 1917. serial No. 199,679.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, FLOYD SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San' Diego, State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in 'Water-Bombs, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto bombs adapted to be exploded under water. or adapted to be exploded by virtue of having passed a certain distance through a fluid (not necessarily a liquid); and in its more specific aspects this invention relates to a bomb adapted to be dropped through the atmosphere into water and adapted to explode upon reaching a certain depth of water.

In a typical embodiment of my invention I employ a means actuated by passage of the bomb through a fluid to detonate the bomb. And. in a typical-specific embodiment of my invention. I make this means actuatable by water in such a manner that when the bomb has passed through a certaindepth of water it will then llc exploded. 'ith this means I also comhinenn arrangement whereb v the bomb maybe exploded by contact if it should strike an object before it has passed through the predetermined depth of water. Furthermore, in'this preferred speciic embodiment of my invention. I employ, in combination, a means for moving the detonator into operative relation with the explosive charge, said means being actuated by virtue of the dropping of the bomb through the atmosphere. Thus in preferred form, my bomb includes an explosive charge,

Y a` detonator normally out of operative relation to the explosive charge, and an air operated means for'moving the detonator into operative position; and a water operated means adapted to set off the detonator after 'a certain amount of movement through the water; with means provided for contact detonation. This typical specific preferred form of bomb I explain in the following specification, reference being had for this purpose to the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of my improved bomb, parts being shown in elevation; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of the upper tail end portion of the bomb; Fig. 3 is a detail cross section taken as indicated by line 3 3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of the lower head portion of the bomb.

Aexplosive charge in 1tail end of the Y the booster 24 which Athe detonator comes its lowermost position the detonator is op- In the drawings the numeral 10 desi n t a bomb body which may be made iigi lie; approved deslgn and structure to carry the its chambers 11 and l2 It may have stabilizing tins 10a. Near the bomb I may place a cross wall 13 to form the upper end of chamber 12,'land the detonator 14 normally lies in p ositlon above this cross wall out of immediate proximity to the explosive charge in chamber 12 and entirely out of proximity to is situated at an effective point within thebody of the bomb. A longitudinal central tube 154 extends the length of the bomb body, being screw threaded in the lower or head end of the Vbomb at 16. Through the upper part of this tube I extend a screw rod 17 upon which the detonator 14 is screv-threadedly mounted; so that rotation of the rod will cause longitudinal movement of the detonator, the detonator being prevented from rotating by means. of a lug 18 engaging in a longitudinal groove 19 on the interior of the tube 15. The screw rod 17 is mounted in a bearing 20 of any suitable character at the upper end of the bomb body; an air screw 21 whose blades 22 are set at a relatively slight angle. When the bomb 1s dropped through the atmosphere, the air screw and screw rod'17 are rotated in such a direction as to move the detonator downwardly from the position shown in Figs. 1 and 2 to the position shown in Fig. 4, where against a stop 23. In

posite and is in register with the booster 24. The detonator comprises a body 25, screw threaded upon the rod 17, and carries an annular body of fulminate at 26 and annular primer cap at 27, firing channels being provided at 28 between the primer cap and the body of fulminate. In the position shown in- F ig. 4, the body of fulminate is directly opposite the annular opening or port 29 which leads to the annular chamber 30 in boosterl 24, which annular chamber 30 contains a charge of material. adapted to augment and reinforce the explosion of the detonator and to make sure the detonation of the explosive charge contained' in the body of the bomb. y V V When the detonator has reached 'ai position shown in Fig. 4, it is ready vtofbe exploded to explode the charge of the bomb; and it may be exploded by the upward moveand the rod carries .60 moved upwardly.

ment of a firing plunger tube 35. This firing tube may be operatedin either of two manners; either by actuation from a water screw 36 or by contact actuation of plunger 37. The mechanisms which cause these actuations will now be set forth..

Firing tube 35 is mounted in a block 38 which slides in tube 15 and is normally held down by a light spring 39. Block 38 carries a pair of pawls 40 Whose ends project downwardly and outwardly over a heavy firing spring 41. The pawls 40 are normally prevented from moving upwardly by the fact that they pass through slots 42 in a sleeve 43 mounted upon stationary part 48. Spring 41 tends to press the pawls 40 upwardly; but the sleeve 43 cannot move upwardly under normal conditions, -because the lower end of plunger 37 is screw threaded at 45 and the hub 46 of water screw 36 has a lug or lugs 47 engaging the screw threads '45. The water screw is mounted upon a bearing sleeve 48 and is adapted to be rotated in such a direction as to move plunger 37 upwardly against block 38, being slotted at 37 a to accommodate pawls 40. When' water screw 36 has rotated a sufficient amount,

Y the block 38 will be .moved up slightly and the pawls 40 will be pulled upwardly and inwardly sufficiently to release the spring .41. Spring 41 will suddenly press upwardly on block 38,moving firing tube 35 in upwardly to strike the primer cap 27, causing explosion of the detonator and thus causing explosion of the booster 4and explosion of the charge contained in the bomb. It will be seen that the detonator cannot be exploded except when it is in the position shown in Fig. 4; and it is moved to thi's`position by the fact that the bomb has dropped a certain distancethrough air. The water propeller 36 cannot be moved by air action; it moves with too great difficulty for that, because it must move against the force of spring 39, and against the action of spring 41 in pawls 40; whereas the air screw 21 is easily moved. It follows, therefore, that this particular type of bomb must passa certain distance through water before it is detonated. The distance may be regulated by regulatingk the longitudinal position of plunger 37 and regulating the amount of rotation required to draw the pawls 40 off spring 41. Spring 39 is provided merely for the purpose of holding down the pivoted end of pawls 40 and holding the firing tube 35 down.

If the plunger 37 should strike Van object before the water screw action has taken place, then the plunger may be forcibly Lugs 47 engaging screw threads 45 are made of such strength as to` be sheared off by any forcible striking of plunger 37; and in such case the plunger .37 and tube 43 will be moved upwardly,

moving the block 38 and firing tube 35, causing iii-ing tube 35 to strike the primer cap 27.

I have explained and claimed in a copending application,Serial No. 199,678, filed November lst, 1917, such an air actuated detonator moving means asis herein set forth; and I do not herein particularly claim said means alone. In features wherein the means and combinations herein are.

the same as in said co-pending application,

cifically, water.; and I herein claim suchl means both in combination with the air actuated detonator moving means, and in combination with the other features herein described. Within such limits I` regard my invention as being broad in nature and not limited to the .particular and specific details of structure herein set forth; intendling the following claims to cover the invention broadly, as well as specifically, and to lnclude all of those changes which may suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. And, within the limits of structureexpressed in the following claims I intend my invention to be applicable to all sorts of explosive devices and not limited to the specific form of water bomb adapted to be dropped from aircraft which is here explained as the preferred embodiment of my invention.

Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim:

1. In a bomb, the combination of a body having a chamber for an explosive charge, a detonator, and firing mechanism for Athe detonator including a firing member adapted to strike the detonator, a plunger adapted to move the firing member, a spring adapted to move the firing member, means controlled by the plunger to lock the spring, and a propeller screw adapted by its rotation lto move the plunger to release the spring.

2. In a bomb, the combination of a body having a chamber for an explosive charge, a detonator normally outside the chamber and movable thereinto, an air propeller screw adapted to move the detonator into the chamber, and a Water propeller screw adapted to explode the detonator.

3. In a bomb, the combination of a body having al chamber for an explosive charge, a detonator normally outside the chamber and movable thereinto, an air propeller screw adapted to move the detonator into the chamber, and firingl mechanism for the detonator embodying a contact operated means and a means operated by passage of the bomb throu h Water.

4. n a bomb, 'the combination of a body having a chamber for an explosive char e, a detonator normally out of operative re ation to the charge and movable into such relation, a firing mechanism for the detonator with which the detonator is normally out of operative relation, and means for moving the detonator into operative relation with the charge and with the firing mechanism.

5. In a bomb, the combination of a body having a chamber Afor an explosive charge, a detonator normally out of operative relation to the charge and movable into such relation, a firing mechanism for the detonator with which the detonator is normally out of operative relation, and air propeller screw means for moving the detonator into operative relation With the charge and with the firing mechanism.

6. In a bomb, the combination of a body having a chamber for an explosive charge, a detonator normally out of operative relation to the charge and movable into such re lation, a Water propeller screw. operated firing mechanism for the detonator with which the detonator is normally out of operative relation, and means for moving the detonator into operative relation with the charge and with the firing mechanism.

' 7. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body and ring mechanism for theoperative relation to the charge, means actuatable by passage through the air to put the detonator into such operative relation, and separate means actuable by passage through iwater to explode the detonator.

9. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator normally out of operative relation to the charge, means for putting the detonator into such operative relation, and separate means actuatable by passage through Water to explode the detonator. i'

10. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator normally out of operative relation to the charge, means for putting the detonator into such operative relation, and separate means actuatable by passage through the iiud through which the bomb travels to explode the detonator.

11. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator normally out of operative relation to the charge, means for putting the detonator into such operativerefiring means for the detonator, the detonator and firing means being normally out of 0perative relation to each other, means to posi'- tively vput the detonator and ring means into operative relation to each other, and means to cause operation of the iring means.

13. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator for the body, firing means for the detonator, the detonator and firing means being normally out of operative relation to each other, means actuated by passage of the bomb through a uid to positively put the detonator and ring means into operative relation to each other, and means to cause operation of the firing means.

14:. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator for the body, firing means for the detonator, the detonator and firing means being normally out of operative relation toeach other, means actuated by passage of the bomb through air to put the detonator and firing means into operative relation to each other, and means actuated'by passage of the bomb through Water to cause operation of the iring means.

15. In a bomb, the combination ofa charge holding body, a detonator for the charge, ring means fo-r the detonator, the detonator and firing means being normally out of operative relation to each' other, .air actuated means to move the detonator i'nto operative relation .tothe firing means, and separate means actuated bypassage of the bomb through Water to cause operation of the ring means.

1 6. In a bomb, the combination of a charge holding body, a detonator for the charge normally out of tiring relation to the charge, means to positively move the detonator into ring relation to the charge, a ring mechanism for the detonator operable when the detonator is moved into firing relation to the charge, said mechanism comprising a firing member adapted to contact with the detonator, a plunger adapted to move the firing member, a spring held normally locked and adapted to be released and impinge on the firing member, when the latter is moved by the plunger, and a water screw propeller adapted to actuate the plunger.

In Witness that I claim the foregoing I lso have hereunto subscribed my name this 26th day of October, 1917.

, f FLOYD SMITH.4

Witness:

JAMES T. BARKELEW. 

